WATCHING, LISTENING TO AND READING
THE WRITER:
WATCHING: Breakfast at Tiffany's. The 1960s was full of bitter-sweet romantic-comedies and this effort from Pink Panther director Blake Edwards is the second best of the decade (after, of course, the peerless The Apartment). Obviously, you all know the story by now (and if you don't, what have you been doing with your life?), but familiarity does not breed contempt, mostly because of Audrey Hepburn's adorable performance as the iconic Holly Golightly. We'll gloss over Mickey Rooney's incredibly offensive Chinese neighbour Mr Yunioshi...
LISTENING TO: Bond songs. Okay, there are a few duffers (The Man With The Golden Gun, All Time High and License to Kill, mostly), but there's surprising quality to the 007 title songs. Monty Norman's theme is, of course, seminal, while the more modern numbers such as Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough and You Know My Name are also toe-tapingling pleasing, mostly, it has to be said, because David Arnold is such a fan of John Barry. So, it's no surprise that the best songs belong to the man himself, with Goldfinger, You Only Live Twice and the peerless On Her Majesty's Secret Service still sounding as fresh and funky as they did back in the 60s.
READING: The Call of the Weird, Louis Theroux. Originally published in 2004, Theroux's first book doesn't tread any new ground - in fact, it's nothing more than a catch up with the people he met during his Weird Weekends series back in the late 90s. But so sensitive and unexploitative is Theroux in his reporting that it feels fresh and invigorating, and it speaks volumes for him as both a human and a professional that the majority of his subjects are happy to see him return.
THE EDITOR:
WATCHING: The last film I saw was Clerks II, which I didn't particularly have high hopes for (hence not bothering to see it at the cinema) but I was very pleasantly surprised. The vulgar humour and geeky dialogue of the first is all still there, but the theme of 'growing up' is much more urgent second time around because Dante and (to a lesser extent) Randal are now really getting to the point where merely getting by isn't what society expects of them and they know this. What makes it a more satisfying experience than the first film is that there is a heart and a soul to it and for the last 20 minutes or so (basically after the donkey-sex scene finishes) we care what happens to them and credit Smith for achieving that for the first time since Chasing Amy.
LISTENING TO: As usual it's a strange and eclectic bunch. New albums by The Go! Team and Alabama 3 are up there and both of those are pretty good. However, you can't beat the two great older albums I've been listening to, Live Rust by Neil Young & Crazy Horse and The Future by Leonard Cohen. Great songs, great lyrics, great performances and just great artists at work. Speaking of which, we'll have an interview with Terrorvision's Tony Wright soon and their albums have been on rotation too. Not quite the same, but good fun and lots of teenage memories nonetheless.
READING: To be honest I've not really had time to read much recently so I'm still on the Jung Chang book, which is still very good. Not much more to say really.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Top Ten... Alternative 70s
Continuing our new (mini) series of Top Tens, we're looking over the alternative classic of the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s. So, what do we mean by alternative? Well, alternative, for the purposes of these entries, means anything that is critically derided, overlooked by the public or just generally under-rated. Ultimately, though, it all comes down to how we argue it, so if you disagree, let us know!
FILMS - By The Writer
1. Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)
One of the few remakes to rival the original, Werner Herzog's haunting 1979 interpretation of Nosferatu ranks as one of the great director's classics. Herzog takes the vampire mythos back to Bram Stoker's 19th century, creating a haunting, almost otherworldly, atmosphere out of the gothic architecture of Germany and Transylvania. Regular star Klaus Kinski puts in one of his most magnetic performances and although Herzog made it simply to pay homage to the original (which he considers the finest German movie ever made), it stands on its own as a tribute to what a truly great director can create, even when working from someone else's film.
2. Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
The 1970s saw the rise of American greats such as Coppola, Scorsese and Spielberg, but it also witnessed the first films from Peter Wier. Now best known for his work in Hollywood (Truman Show, Master and Commander) the Australian director made his name with this small-scale tale of three Aussie schoolgirls who disappear on a field-trip to the titular beauty spot. The film is an adaptation of Joan Lindsay's novel of the same name which, for a long time, was considered to be based on a true story. Of course, it isn‘t, but watching the haunting realism of Weir's film, you'll believe it is.
3. Network (1976)
Although well-regarded by film critics, Network is surprisingly overlooked by the general public considering how prescient it is. Telling the story of a news anchorman who becomes a ratings sensation after threatening to kill himself live on air, the film investigates and condemns the soulless TV executives who’ll do anything and exploit anyone to get the gullible public to tune into their channel. You get the feeling Simon Cowell is not a fan…
4. The Conversation (1974)
Made between Godfathers 1 and 2, Francis Ford Coppola's taut, paranoid thriller stars Gene Hackman as a surveillance expert who finds himself dragged into a deadly game of cat and mouse when he discovers a couple he is spying on may be about to be murdered. Sound familiar? It should, because The Conversation is basically Blow Up with sound instead of photos. But Coppola's direction, Hackman's tetchy performance and Walter Murch's revolutionary sound design make this film an overlooked and surprisingly original classic which perfectly reflects the post-Watergate paranoia of its time.
5. Logan's Run (1976)
Thanks to Star Wars, the 70s was packed with dodgy, cash-in sci-fi films. Logan's Run, however, is not one of them. Sure it's light and fluffy considering it depicts a dystopian society in which you're shot when you hit the age of thirty, but there's a sense of intelligent fun to it that so many sci-fis lacked at the time. Michael York makes for a cracking leading man, Jenny Agutter gets some entirely gratuitous nudity and the sets look superb, despite being very, very 70s.
6. The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
If you've only seen the fun but dumb remake of The Hills Have Eyes, rent this original. Though lacking the brutal terror of Last House on the Left and mainstream appeal of Nightmare on Elm Street, Wes Craven's sophomore effort is probably his most accomplished film to date, merging, as it does, the social concerns many horror films at the time investigated with genuine white knuckle fear that the remake simply couldn't touch.
7. Suspiria (1977)
Italian director Dario Argento has always been one of world cinema's most edgy horror directors, but this brutal tale of a young woman who discovers the ballet academy she is studying at is actually run by witches pushes him so close to maverick madman territory you wonder how it ever got made. The answer, of course, is that it's bloody scary, with Argento generating a bizarre sense of creeping fear through his use of colour, score (Goblin's soundtrack is the best any horror film has ever boasted) and good old fashioned scares - the one at the window at the start is a doozy.
8. Barry Lyndon (1975)
I can't say I particularly love Barry Lyndon. It's the only Kubrick film I struggle to sit through and I’ve only seen the whole thing in stages, rather than in one long go. Most people agree, feeling the film is too stately and slow to really grip. However, if Clockwork Orange showcased Kubrick the social critic and 2001 was Kubrick as philosopher, this is Kubrick the artisan as the late, great director crafts some of the most gorgeously shot and beautifully lit period scenes ever committed to celluloid.
9. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Like the titular monsters, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is one of those films that just won’t go away. Already remade in 1993 as Body Snatchers and set for another reboot this year under the name The Invasion (I eagerly await the next film, ‘Of The’), the first attempt to modernise Don Siegel’s 1955 B-Movie classic was helmed by Right Stuff director Phillip Kaufman. Being made in the late 70s, it reflects the paranoia and general mistrust of the time perfectly and handed a first big role to Jeff Goldblum. For that alone it deserves legendary status.
10. King Kong (1976)
Yes, of course, the 1976 remake of King Kong is terrible. Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange look hopelessly out of their depth, the attempt to update the classic story simply shows how silly the idea of a giant ape is and Kong himself, well, best leave poor Kong alone. But there's still something stupidly entertaining about the 76 remake. It’s like watching a primary school child’s interpretation of a great Shakespeare play and, although I know it‘s wrong, I just can’t help but be charmed by it every time I watch it.
ALBUMS - By The Editor
1. Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (1977)
Dennis was the great enigma of the Beach Boys and of the Wilson brothers. The only one in the group who was actually a surfer, he only became their drummer because Mrs Wilson made Brian and Carl include him. Often more interested in the partying and girls than the music, he still went on to be one of the most talented songwriters in the group. Pacific Ocean Blue was his only solo album and lives up to all the promise of the songs he wrote for the band in the 70s. It sounds nothing like the Beach Boys and is all the better for it.
2. Gene Clark - No Other (1974)
David Crosby and Gram Parsons may be two better known former Byrds, but Gene Clark still produced one of the best albums of any of them. Unfortuately, when No Other was released in 1974, its baroque-pop stylings and rather pretentious-sounding lyrics were pretty much laughed at, and hardly anyone bought it. More than 30 years on, we can see that they were all missing out on not just one of the most underrated albums of the 70s, but also one of the best.
3. Lou Reed - Lou Reed (1972)
An example of an album that is not only underrated by the critics and fans, but also by the artist themselves. At a time when the Velvet Underground were starting to achieve some fame after they had split, there was plenty of interest in Lou Reed's solo career. He seemed to be a little unsure of himself at this stage and ended up re-recording some forgotten VU tracks and the end result was largely ignored by critics and fans, with Transformer arriving later in the year to proper launch Reed upon the world. However, his debut is still very enjoyable.
4. George Harrison - George Harrison (1979)
By the late 70s, Harrison's patchy solo career was already drifting into obscurity and this excellent self-titled release was 'just another George Harrison album', overshadowed by the impending return to the limelight of John Lennon and the commercial successes of Paul McCartney and Wings. However, with great tracks like Love Comes To Everyone, Blow Away, Faster and the beautiful Your Love Is Forever, this is a real underrated masterpiece from the former Beatle.
5. Steve Cropper - With A Little Help From My Friends (1971)
Steve Cropper was a member of Booker T And The MGs and played guitar on some of the greatest hits by Stax superstars like Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Sam & Dave. In 1971 he finally got the chance for some solo action of his own, and despite the hints from the title that there might be some famous names providing vocals for him, it's his guitar that shines through in a load of excellent instrumental soul tracks.
6. Betty Davis - Betty Davis (1973)
She married Miles Davis and had alleged 'liaisons' with Jimi Hendrix, so it was no surprise that Betty Davis had a few tricks of her own when it came to music. Hard-edged funk was the name of the day on her solo release, with the lyrics focusing on sex and sleaze and just having a good time (all of which was a bit much even for her wild husband) and with a great rhythm section backing her up, it's a shame she didn't get the chance to really grow and live up to the promise of this album.
7. Kiss - Ace Frehley (1978)
In 1978, Kiss came up with the idea of expanding upon their individual characters by allowing each member to release a 'solo' album under the general Kiss brand. All on the same day. Of the four records, Ace Frehley provided the best, even though he didn't push the envelope quite as much as Gene Simmons or Peter Criss when it came to moving away from the kind of music Kiss were making at the time. He was always the coolest member of the band and songs like Rip It Out and Snow Blind just demonstrate why he should have been given more chances to shine by the two leaders of the group.
8. Frank Sinatra - Trilogy (1979)
Having released some of the best albums of the 50s and 60s, Sinatra hardly released anything at all in the 70s, spending most of his time performing instead. So when he returned with a three-record set called Past - Present - Future, eyebrows were raised. It provided him with one of his signature tunes, New York New York, and the Past and Present sections are very easy for fans to enjoy. What makes it interesting though is the Future, where he does sci-fi, singing songs by Gordon Jenkins all about space travel. It's madness, but it works. Not that you'll many people who agree.
9. Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage (1979)
Another lengthy album, Joe's Garage is one of the best examples of Zappa's mixture of cautionary tales of groupies and government censorship with his wacky toilet humour. At times it can go off the rails and the sheer length of it can be off-putting, but it's one of Zappa's best and most cohesive albums and the narration by the Big Brother-esque Central Scruntiniser is hilarious.
10. Bunny Wailer - Blackheart Man (1976)
Never as renowned as either of the other two original Wailers (Bob Marley and Peter Tosh), Bunny Livingstone was arguably just as talented and while his solo debut remains a critical rather than commercial triumph, he has at least gone on to become one of roots reggae's elder statesman purely by outliving the other two. Closing track This Train is one of the best songs of the genre ever and there's no weak tracks here.
Continuing our new (mini) series of Top Tens, we're looking over the alternative classic of the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s. So, what do we mean by alternative? Well, alternative, for the purposes of these entries, means anything that is critically derided, overlooked by the public or just generally under-rated. Ultimately, though, it all comes down to how we argue it, so if you disagree, let us know!
FILMS - By The Writer
1. Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)
One of the few remakes to rival the original, Werner Herzog's haunting 1979 interpretation of Nosferatu ranks as one of the great director's classics. Herzog takes the vampire mythos back to Bram Stoker's 19th century, creating a haunting, almost otherworldly, atmosphere out of the gothic architecture of Germany and Transylvania. Regular star Klaus Kinski puts in one of his most magnetic performances and although Herzog made it simply to pay homage to the original (which he considers the finest German movie ever made), it stands on its own as a tribute to what a truly great director can create, even when working from someone else's film.
2. Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
The 1970s saw the rise of American greats such as Coppola, Scorsese and Spielberg, but it also witnessed the first films from Peter Wier. Now best known for his work in Hollywood (Truman Show, Master and Commander) the Australian director made his name with this small-scale tale of three Aussie schoolgirls who disappear on a field-trip to the titular beauty spot. The film is an adaptation of Joan Lindsay's novel of the same name which, for a long time, was considered to be based on a true story. Of course, it isn‘t, but watching the haunting realism of Weir's film, you'll believe it is.
3. Network (1976)
Although well-regarded by film critics, Network is surprisingly overlooked by the general public considering how prescient it is. Telling the story of a news anchorman who becomes a ratings sensation after threatening to kill himself live on air, the film investigates and condemns the soulless TV executives who’ll do anything and exploit anyone to get the gullible public to tune into their channel. You get the feeling Simon Cowell is not a fan…
4. The Conversation (1974)
Made between Godfathers 1 and 2, Francis Ford Coppola's taut, paranoid thriller stars Gene Hackman as a surveillance expert who finds himself dragged into a deadly game of cat and mouse when he discovers a couple he is spying on may be about to be murdered. Sound familiar? It should, because The Conversation is basically Blow Up with sound instead of photos. But Coppola's direction, Hackman's tetchy performance and Walter Murch's revolutionary sound design make this film an overlooked and surprisingly original classic which perfectly reflects the post-Watergate paranoia of its time.
5. Logan's Run (1976)
Thanks to Star Wars, the 70s was packed with dodgy, cash-in sci-fi films. Logan's Run, however, is not one of them. Sure it's light and fluffy considering it depicts a dystopian society in which you're shot when you hit the age of thirty, but there's a sense of intelligent fun to it that so many sci-fis lacked at the time. Michael York makes for a cracking leading man, Jenny Agutter gets some entirely gratuitous nudity and the sets look superb, despite being very, very 70s.
6. The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
If you've only seen the fun but dumb remake of The Hills Have Eyes, rent this original. Though lacking the brutal terror of Last House on the Left and mainstream appeal of Nightmare on Elm Street, Wes Craven's sophomore effort is probably his most accomplished film to date, merging, as it does, the social concerns many horror films at the time investigated with genuine white knuckle fear that the remake simply couldn't touch.
7. Suspiria (1977)
Italian director Dario Argento has always been one of world cinema's most edgy horror directors, but this brutal tale of a young woman who discovers the ballet academy she is studying at is actually run by witches pushes him so close to maverick madman territory you wonder how it ever got made. The answer, of course, is that it's bloody scary, with Argento generating a bizarre sense of creeping fear through his use of colour, score (Goblin's soundtrack is the best any horror film has ever boasted) and good old fashioned scares - the one at the window at the start is a doozy.
8. Barry Lyndon (1975)
I can't say I particularly love Barry Lyndon. It's the only Kubrick film I struggle to sit through and I’ve only seen the whole thing in stages, rather than in one long go. Most people agree, feeling the film is too stately and slow to really grip. However, if Clockwork Orange showcased Kubrick the social critic and 2001 was Kubrick as philosopher, this is Kubrick the artisan as the late, great director crafts some of the most gorgeously shot and beautifully lit period scenes ever committed to celluloid.
9. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Like the titular monsters, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is one of those films that just won’t go away. Already remade in 1993 as Body Snatchers and set for another reboot this year under the name The Invasion (I eagerly await the next film, ‘Of The’), the first attempt to modernise Don Siegel’s 1955 B-Movie classic was helmed by Right Stuff director Phillip Kaufman. Being made in the late 70s, it reflects the paranoia and general mistrust of the time perfectly and handed a first big role to Jeff Goldblum. For that alone it deserves legendary status.
10. King Kong (1976)
Yes, of course, the 1976 remake of King Kong is terrible. Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange look hopelessly out of their depth, the attempt to update the classic story simply shows how silly the idea of a giant ape is and Kong himself, well, best leave poor Kong alone. But there's still something stupidly entertaining about the 76 remake. It’s like watching a primary school child’s interpretation of a great Shakespeare play and, although I know it‘s wrong, I just can’t help but be charmed by it every time I watch it.
ALBUMS - By The Editor
1. Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (1977)
Dennis was the great enigma of the Beach Boys and of the Wilson brothers. The only one in the group who was actually a surfer, he only became their drummer because Mrs Wilson made Brian and Carl include him. Often more interested in the partying and girls than the music, he still went on to be one of the most talented songwriters in the group. Pacific Ocean Blue was his only solo album and lives up to all the promise of the songs he wrote for the band in the 70s. It sounds nothing like the Beach Boys and is all the better for it.
2. Gene Clark - No Other (1974)
David Crosby and Gram Parsons may be two better known former Byrds, but Gene Clark still produced one of the best albums of any of them. Unfortuately, when No Other was released in 1974, its baroque-pop stylings and rather pretentious-sounding lyrics were pretty much laughed at, and hardly anyone bought it. More than 30 years on, we can see that they were all missing out on not just one of the most underrated albums of the 70s, but also one of the best.
3. Lou Reed - Lou Reed (1972)
An example of an album that is not only underrated by the critics and fans, but also by the artist themselves. At a time when the Velvet Underground were starting to achieve some fame after they had split, there was plenty of interest in Lou Reed's solo career. He seemed to be a little unsure of himself at this stage and ended up re-recording some forgotten VU tracks and the end result was largely ignored by critics and fans, with Transformer arriving later in the year to proper launch Reed upon the world. However, his debut is still very enjoyable.
4. George Harrison - George Harrison (1979)
By the late 70s, Harrison's patchy solo career was already drifting into obscurity and this excellent self-titled release was 'just another George Harrison album', overshadowed by the impending return to the limelight of John Lennon and the commercial successes of Paul McCartney and Wings. However, with great tracks like Love Comes To Everyone, Blow Away, Faster and the beautiful Your Love Is Forever, this is a real underrated masterpiece from the former Beatle.
5. Steve Cropper - With A Little Help From My Friends (1971)
Steve Cropper was a member of Booker T And The MGs and played guitar on some of the greatest hits by Stax superstars like Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Sam & Dave. In 1971 he finally got the chance for some solo action of his own, and despite the hints from the title that there might be some famous names providing vocals for him, it's his guitar that shines through in a load of excellent instrumental soul tracks.
6. Betty Davis - Betty Davis (1973)
She married Miles Davis and had alleged 'liaisons' with Jimi Hendrix, so it was no surprise that Betty Davis had a few tricks of her own when it came to music. Hard-edged funk was the name of the day on her solo release, with the lyrics focusing on sex and sleaze and just having a good time (all of which was a bit much even for her wild husband) and with a great rhythm section backing her up, it's a shame she didn't get the chance to really grow and live up to the promise of this album.
7. Kiss - Ace Frehley (1978)
In 1978, Kiss came up with the idea of expanding upon their individual characters by allowing each member to release a 'solo' album under the general Kiss brand. All on the same day. Of the four records, Ace Frehley provided the best, even though he didn't push the envelope quite as much as Gene Simmons or Peter Criss when it came to moving away from the kind of music Kiss were making at the time. He was always the coolest member of the band and songs like Rip It Out and Snow Blind just demonstrate why he should have been given more chances to shine by the two leaders of the group.
8. Frank Sinatra - Trilogy (1979)
Having released some of the best albums of the 50s and 60s, Sinatra hardly released anything at all in the 70s, spending most of his time performing instead. So when he returned with a three-record set called Past - Present - Future, eyebrows were raised. It provided him with one of his signature tunes, New York New York, and the Past and Present sections are very easy for fans to enjoy. What makes it interesting though is the Future, where he does sci-fi, singing songs by Gordon Jenkins all about space travel. It's madness, but it works. Not that you'll many people who agree.
9. Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage (1979)
Another lengthy album, Joe's Garage is one of the best examples of Zappa's mixture of cautionary tales of groupies and government censorship with his wacky toilet humour. At times it can go off the rails and the sheer length of it can be off-putting, but it's one of Zappa's best and most cohesive albums and the narration by the Big Brother-esque Central Scruntiniser is hilarious.
10. Bunny Wailer - Blackheart Man (1976)
Never as renowned as either of the other two original Wailers (Bob Marley and Peter Tosh), Bunny Livingstone was arguably just as talented and while his solo debut remains a critical rather than commercial triumph, he has at least gone on to become one of roots reggae's elder statesman purely by outliving the other two. Closing track This Train is one of the best songs of the genre ever and there's no weak tracks here.
Friday, August 10, 2007
ENTERTAINMENT ESSENTIALS: ANTHONY WILSON
On the front cover of the 24 Hour Party People soundtrack album Ian Curtis is described as a GENIUS, Shaun Ryder is a POET and Tony Wilson is a TWAT. This pretty much sums up the appreciation of Wilson for his contribution to Manchester music, even from a film that pretty much tells his side of the story. Of course, a lot of this is a typically Mancunian lack of pretension or nostalgia, but it's always seemed a little unfair.
At last year's Manchester Vs Cancer gig, when he introduced New Order's storming Joy Division set, Wilson was roundly booed by a crowd who didn't really know why they were booing him other than that he was a TWAT. Even Bernard Sumner chastised them for it during the show. The great tragedy of it was that just over a year and a half later, it is cancer that today killed him.
While he wasn't a music genius and his business sense was questionable to say the least, Madchester quite probably wouldn't have happened without him, Joy Division/New Order might never have become famous, the Happy Mondays might never have got round to releasing anything at all and the Hacienda wouldn't have existed. What kind of musical heritage would this city have had?
And it wasn't just the music either, Wilson's day job was in the media and worked on local news shows like Granada Tonight as well as having a show on Radio Manchester. Whatever you think of him, he was a Manchester legend and while it's very sad to have to put this up so soon after our obit feature on Lee Hazlewood, Wilson was much more important to Manc music and hopefully one good thing to come from his death (apart from perhaps some soul-searching about cancer treatment - the NHS refused to pay for the drug he needed to beat the disease) will be that the city he loved will finally start to love him back.
On the front cover of the 24 Hour Party People soundtrack album Ian Curtis is described as a GENIUS, Shaun Ryder is a POET and Tony Wilson is a TWAT. This pretty much sums up the appreciation of Wilson for his contribution to Manchester music, even from a film that pretty much tells his side of the story. Of course, a lot of this is a typically Mancunian lack of pretension or nostalgia, but it's always seemed a little unfair.
At last year's Manchester Vs Cancer gig, when he introduced New Order's storming Joy Division set, Wilson was roundly booed by a crowd who didn't really know why they were booing him other than that he was a TWAT. Even Bernard Sumner chastised them for it during the show. The great tragedy of it was that just over a year and a half later, it is cancer that today killed him.
While he wasn't a music genius and his business sense was questionable to say the least, Madchester quite probably wouldn't have happened without him, Joy Division/New Order might never have become famous, the Happy Mondays might never have got round to releasing anything at all and the Hacienda wouldn't have existed. What kind of musical heritage would this city have had?
And it wasn't just the music either, Wilson's day job was in the media and worked on local news shows like Granada Tonight as well as having a show on Radio Manchester. Whatever you think of him, he was a Manchester legend and while it's very sad to have to put this up so soon after our obit feature on Lee Hazlewood, Wilson was much more important to Manc music and hopefully one good thing to come from his death (apart from perhaps some soul-searching about cancer treatment - the NHS refused to pay for the drug he needed to beat the disease) will be that the city he loved will finally start to love him back.
Monday, August 06, 2007
THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT... LEE HAZLEWOOD
Some velvet mornin' when I'm straight
I'm gonna open up your gate
And maybe tell you 'bout Phaedra
And how she gave me life
And how she made it end
Some velvet mornin' when I'm straight
So begins one of the strangest pop songs of all time, Some Velvet Morning by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood, one of the most amazing and completely surreal pop duos ever. Frank Sinatra's sweet-voiced little girl and a big ugly country singer with a DEEP voice and a quirky sense of humour made for a potent and unique combination and while Nancy was a big part of that success, it was mostly down to Lee, who sadly died at the weekend.
Hazlewood wrote Nancy's biggest hit - and girl power anthem - These Boots Are Made For Walkin' as well as writing, producing and singing with her on classic tracks like Summerwine, Sand and Ladybird. He also discovered and gave Duane Eddy and Gram Parsons their first big breaks, but what made him so special was his quirkiness and darker edges.
Famously, he instructed Sinatra to sing These Boots 'like a 14 year old who fucks truck drivers', while the sweet and innocent-sounding Sugartown was actually an ode to LSD. Fittingly, when he discovered that he was dying of cancer, Hazlewood was spurred into action and recorded one last album called Cake And Death after an Eddie Izzard joke. Idiosyncratic to the last, he even did a new version of Some Velvet Morning sung by his young granddaughter Phaedra.
It's a hit and miss collection, as are almost all of his albums, simply because Hazlewood has always been an artist who works to his own beat and makes music for himself. With Cake And Death he started into the abyss and still found something to laugh at and something to make you smile. There was no-one else like him in the music industry and there probably never will be again and that's why he will be sorely missed even if he was always too offbeat for the mainstream.
But ask Jarvis Cocker, Richard Hawley or Nick Cave who inspired them to get into music and they'll all say Lee Hazlewood...
Some velvet mornin' when I'm straight
I'm gonna open up your gate
And maybe tell you 'bout Phaedra
And how she gave me life
And how she made it end
Some velvet mornin' when I'm straight
So begins one of the strangest pop songs of all time, Some Velvet Morning by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood, one of the most amazing and completely surreal pop duos ever. Frank Sinatra's sweet-voiced little girl and a big ugly country singer with a DEEP voice and a quirky sense of humour made for a potent and unique combination and while Nancy was a big part of that success, it was mostly down to Lee, who sadly died at the weekend.
Hazlewood wrote Nancy's biggest hit - and girl power anthem - These Boots Are Made For Walkin' as well as writing, producing and singing with her on classic tracks like Summerwine, Sand and Ladybird. He also discovered and gave Duane Eddy and Gram Parsons their first big breaks, but what made him so special was his quirkiness and darker edges.
Famously, he instructed Sinatra to sing These Boots 'like a 14 year old who fucks truck drivers', while the sweet and innocent-sounding Sugartown was actually an ode to LSD. Fittingly, when he discovered that he was dying of cancer, Hazlewood was spurred into action and recorded one last album called Cake And Death after an Eddie Izzard joke. Idiosyncratic to the last, he even did a new version of Some Velvet Morning sung by his young granddaughter Phaedra.
It's a hit and miss collection, as are almost all of his albums, simply because Hazlewood has always been an artist who works to his own beat and makes music for himself. With Cake And Death he started into the abyss and still found something to laugh at and something to make you smile. There was no-one else like him in the music industry and there probably never will be again and that's why he will be sorely missed even if he was always too offbeat for the mainstream.
But ask Jarvis Cocker, Richard Hawley or Nick Cave who inspired them to get into music and they'll all say Lee Hazlewood...
Saturday, August 04, 2007
WATCHING, READING AND LISTENING TO
THE EDITOR:
WATCHING - The Da Vinci Code on DVD was the last thing I saw. Never read the book, but was slightly disappointed that the 'plot twists' were all sign-posted way off by Ron Howard. However, I'm fascinated by history, so I found the whole thing quite interesting even if it was trying to pass a load of speculation off as 'FACTS', so it was quite enjoyable really. Also recently seen The Break-Up (alright, but not very funny) and The Holiday (VERY sappy and had Jude Law in it, but otherwise ok). Bring on The Simpsons Movie on Sunday night!
READING - Back to Jung Chang's Wild Swans. After reading her Mao biography I've become very interested in China's 20th Century meltdown, so it's very moving to go back to Chang's tale of the same period of history as told through the lives of her grandmother, her mother and herself. At the moment, her mother is a young radical Communist in a country ready for revolution and a better future under men like Mao. Sadly, the reality won't exactly match up to the idealogy and this book is set to get a whole lot darker...
LISTENING TO - As usual a really wide range of music, but things that have been going down well recently include: REM's Life's Rich Pageant and Reckoning, both awesome early albums, though I also really enjoyed Around The Sun, so I'm not one of those tiresome people who don't like their modern music just because you can understand what Michael Stipe says nowadays; Death Cab For Cutie; the new Josh Rouse album; Al Bowlly, a great pre-war British singer probably best known now for a song used a couple of times in The Shining, called Midnight, The Stars And You. Lovely music.
THE WRITER:
WATCHING - The last thing I watched at the cinema was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which is ok but overloaded with plot and simplistic political subtext (especially in the Dolores Umbridge character). On DVD, I last watched Zathura, which is Jumanja in space but highly enjoyable and directed with real zest by Jon Favreau. And on TV, I'm still struggling to get into Heroes. It's perfectly ok, but the plot relies too heavily on tenuous mystery instead of genuine character development, something not helped by the fact that most of them are intechangable hunks who do little else but muse on fate and destiny.
READING - Essential X-Men Volume 2. Now, this is what you want if you're looking for intelligent superhero stories. The Dark Phoenix saga, the Days of Future Past and the introduction of Kitty Pryde are all included in this collection of classic Chris Claremont and John Bryne X-stories from the 1980s. Obviously some things (Banshee's incredibly silly Irish accent for one) don't really stand up to the test of time, but anything that has evil goddesses, space fights and alternate futures ruled by the Sentinals is ok by me.
LISTENING TO - Raiders of the Lost Ark score. In celebration of the fact Indiana Jones 4 seems to be proceeding quite nicely (with added Karen Allen - hurrah), I've been listening to the score for Raiders of the Lost Ark. Obviously, the Raiders March is the best and most memorable piece, but the less well known cuts are also impressive, especially the romantic Marion's Theme and that great shift from elegant elegy to apocalyptic poundings that happens when the Nazis open the Ark and all hell (and face-melting special effects) break loose.
THE EDITOR:
WATCHING - The Da Vinci Code on DVD was the last thing I saw. Never read the book, but was slightly disappointed that the 'plot twists' were all sign-posted way off by Ron Howard. However, I'm fascinated by history, so I found the whole thing quite interesting even if it was trying to pass a load of speculation off as 'FACTS', so it was quite enjoyable really. Also recently seen The Break-Up (alright, but not very funny) and The Holiday (VERY sappy and had Jude Law in it, but otherwise ok). Bring on The Simpsons Movie on Sunday night!
READING - Back to Jung Chang's Wild Swans. After reading her Mao biography I've become very interested in China's 20th Century meltdown, so it's very moving to go back to Chang's tale of the same period of history as told through the lives of her grandmother, her mother and herself. At the moment, her mother is a young radical Communist in a country ready for revolution and a better future under men like Mao. Sadly, the reality won't exactly match up to the idealogy and this book is set to get a whole lot darker...
LISTENING TO - As usual a really wide range of music, but things that have been going down well recently include: REM's Life's Rich Pageant and Reckoning, both awesome early albums, though I also really enjoyed Around The Sun, so I'm not one of those tiresome people who don't like their modern music just because you can understand what Michael Stipe says nowadays; Death Cab For Cutie; the new Josh Rouse album; Al Bowlly, a great pre-war British singer probably best known now for a song used a couple of times in The Shining, called Midnight, The Stars And You. Lovely music.
THE WRITER:
WATCHING - The last thing I watched at the cinema was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which is ok but overloaded with plot and simplistic political subtext (especially in the Dolores Umbridge character). On DVD, I last watched Zathura, which is Jumanja in space but highly enjoyable and directed with real zest by Jon Favreau. And on TV, I'm still struggling to get into Heroes. It's perfectly ok, but the plot relies too heavily on tenuous mystery instead of genuine character development, something not helped by the fact that most of them are intechangable hunks who do little else but muse on fate and destiny.
READING - Essential X-Men Volume 2. Now, this is what you want if you're looking for intelligent superhero stories. The Dark Phoenix saga, the Days of Future Past and the introduction of Kitty Pryde are all included in this collection of classic Chris Claremont and John Bryne X-stories from the 1980s. Obviously some things (Banshee's incredibly silly Irish accent for one) don't really stand up to the test of time, but anything that has evil goddesses, space fights and alternate futures ruled by the Sentinals is ok by me.
LISTENING TO - Raiders of the Lost Ark score. In celebration of the fact Indiana Jones 4 seems to be proceeding quite nicely (with added Karen Allen - hurrah), I've been listening to the score for Raiders of the Lost Ark. Obviously, the Raiders March is the best and most memorable piece, but the less well known cuts are also impressive, especially the romantic Marion's Theme and that great shift from elegant elegy to apocalyptic poundings that happens when the Nazis open the Ark and all hell (and face-melting special effects) break loose.
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